1. Technical Field
Example embodiments of the present invention relate to three-dimensional (3D) images, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for processing and displaying a 3D image.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Stereoscopic image display relates to the display of different images to a left and right eye of the observer. By presenting slightly different images to each eye, an observer is able to combine the two images in his or her brain and accordingly perceive a single combined image that instills a perception of depth. There are two distinct forms of stereoscopic image display devices; a first form of stereoscopic image display, generally referred to simply as “stereoscopic type,” involves the use of special glasses to assist in preventing each eye from seeing the wrong image. The second form of stereoscopic image display is generally referred to as “auto-stereoscopic type” in which special glasses are not used.
There are multiple forms of stereoscopic type image display. In a passive polarized glasses method, the special 3D glasses utilize a first a polarized filter on a first eye piece and a second polarized filter on a second eye piece. The two polarized filters each have a different polarized axis according. In an active shutter glasses method, the special 3D glasses utilize active shutters over the left eye piece and the right eye piece. The shutters are considered to be “active” because they can be altered to permit or block light, as desired. A left-eye image and a right-eye image are time-divided to be periodically displayed. For example, the display device may alternate between showing the left-eye image and the right-eye image. The shutters of the 3D glasses may be synchronized with the display device so that the left-eye shutter is closed when the display device displays the right-eye image and the right-eye shutter is closed when the display device displays the left-eye image.
There are also different types of auto-stereoscopic type 3D displays. The first type is a parallax barrier method and the second type is a lenticular method. The lenticular method uses lenticular lens that permit different images to be displayed from different directions. The lenticular lens refracts an incident light into distinct views. The parallax barrier method uses an array of barriers positioned a small distance away from the display panel of the display device so that an observer positioned at a proper distance from the display device may find that image sections forming the left-eye image are blocked from the right eye by the barrier while image sections forming the right-eye image are blocked from the left eye by the barrier. However, as every other image section is blocked from the view of one eye by the barrier, the effective resolution and the perceived brightness of the parallax barrier display are each reduced by approximately half.
However, different users may perceive 3D effects differently and accordingly it is difficult to provide a 3D image display that is satisfactory to all users.